Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-30
FASHIONS OF TrrE SEASON.
A Srcat variety and Picturesque Com
biaas;ons of CoiorS.


biaas;ons of Coiors.
Tss GENESIS OF BEAUTY IN woNASs pRRss-rypf-
vIpUALTTT AND INDEPENDENCE THE FxPRAS-
cHTsESsT OF MODERN FASHIONS - MASCULINE
IDEAS OF FAsBIoS-REYrSzxEST vs. vu1aARrrY
From Our Own Correspondent.
NEW YORK. April %.
women can never be really great tin less OF
theif nervous energy is expended upon dress Yet
who would decree An sosolute basis and fxed laws
Ia regard TO women's dress, even IL they could7
vonan-stUdent and scholar In one-who rarely
makes her appearance IN society, attended
grand reception the other evening. and when
asked WHY she iniulJe1 In 50 much dissipation,
replied: 81 came 20 look az the good clothes.
feast for the eyes, is IL nots Yet see nothing
very gay or unlike what have seen before" Still,
II vaS-as this quiet larty remarked-"a feast
Tor the eyes The lovely art shades OF color,
which were formerly called aesthetic, and were
confined 10 a few persons, have now become gen.
eral, and their sOftneSs and delIcacv blend In
masses and create a lovely and glow Of color
There Is also great deal that IS charming and
indivi1ualized about present fashion. Women are
differentiated. They look less like milhners
blocks; less as II put in end taken out OF one
mCUli. The dress OF one viii show refinement OF
simplicity: another, the subtiest manipulation and
blending OF art. one is rs fashionable as the
other: Tor everything Is .'fashlonable' that Is
sGrcess-that is, that looks well and makes its
We.8rer look well.
There is delightful freshness and look of nov
city 20 spTing fashions which are hardly justified
by their materials. The feeling and appearance
are produced bv the greater variety OF color and
the picturesque sIIgYStiveneSS OF some of the new
combinations. inner art Is constantly being cul-
tivated In the designing Of gowns and garments.
''Drapery~ IS now. with some, a speciality, and
books and pictures are studied both by dreSsnakerS
and their customers in order to discover new
iiea. q new fold, new effect; and IT one Is found
It Is seized upon with avidity-
nrlr nrCrah has nnr p,1s ~
because plain skirts have come in: both are equally
fashionable, equally desirable II both are equally
nLtCd 70 Dc representatives. OF their class. 1t is
highly important TO get rid OF the notion that
because one thfngi Is "worn" another must not be.
For example, that because the pOlonaise has been
revived the basque and draperied skirt have dis
appeared, or that the use OF one color excludes
another. There is rule in dress that is not open
u brilliant exception, and there never Was time
when general culture intelligence and special re-
QuirementS entered 50 largely into the general
economy OF dress, or found so much individual ex
preston as now. Yet, Notwithstanding this il is
certainly true that women must release them
selves verv much more generally from the burden
ana authority OF their clothes. II they are to be
ready to do the work OF the world with the force
that Is demanded OF men. and with no more waste
OF nervous energ;.
This fact is beginning 70 be accepted BY profes-
sional women everywhere: and they are gradually
acquiring a characteristic tone in the general
features Of their attire The thoroughbred women
can always be recognized anywhere; principally
BY the presence OF refinement and the absence OF
the conspicuous n her clothes But unfortu-
IILeiy she l. not OItel seen on the street. The
specimen with which We are most familiar in the
crowds that thrUng The sidewalks IS the weighing
woman, whose big hustle carries her skirt like
sail: who lives in boarding -hOuSeS and fauntS her
latest acquisition IL the shape OF feathers or
IONerS bangles or wraps. upon the promenade.
Win the majority OF men this woman stands as
the representative q style" They walk behind
her and comment upon her, as they take their
afternoon stroll up Broadway; and she, uncon-
ScfouS that her hustle has worked considerably 10
one side and radiant in the consciousness Of tall
ladder OF spring green bows IN the front of her
straw hat and new gown in the proper combina-
tiOn OF Ssrpe1 with plain material. carries her
head higher even than usual and leelS that ''Iife
Is worth living as long as spring brings new
fashions.
THE PROMENADE COSTUME.
Is short Jacket Of light, stOnecoiored cloth;
trimmed, but faced iDteriorywith silk over black
or Drown SOFT vicuna or cashmere dress and black
or brown straw hat, with bunch Of spring flowers
or grasses, and ribbon bows set upright. Fresh
nOWcrS are almost always worn at the breast car
lied in the hand: henotropeS vfoIets yellow dafo-
dis, Hiies OF the valley or fragrant mignnonette.
They are displayed IN tempting masses upon every
block at comparatively small cost, and Few can
Withstand the temptation OF adding s.p0Sey" to
the dainty neatness CT u new spring jacket.
Gimp5 and paSSeInentrteS have now disappeared
nom ST. eeL Jackets or the best Glass; their distinc-
ton Is due altogether to the finish OF the smooth
brossdeoth. the refinement OF tint and the perIec-
ton OF cut and fit The tufted and coarse mixtures
In materials are only used by those who possess
them and must wear them. The fashionable
tailor cloths are in every important re-
spect identical with those worn by men. Braidirg
Is perhaps more distinguished than ever but II is
executed By hand and upon entire costumes. A
braided jacket, with dT1ped cloth or silk skirt
such as Was commonly w0rn few years ago, is
now not elegant. The bodice is not braidedin a
border line, but 70 form deep, pointed vest, back
and front, and the design is repeated in panel
upon one side, and part OF ft, as decorative
touch, upon the hip drapery OF the other
some or the handsOncS5 or these costumes are
made IN black: others in shades or heliotrope and
gray: but perhaps the most decidedly novel in
tone and appearance are the Sage-greens. kind
or gray green shade. which suits admirably the
rich hand COMMUNICATION IN OXydiSesi silver that
l. put upon ii. 1t is hard to tell what turn
CAPRICE OF FASHION
Will take, or when 1t will be found enough and not
too much There are teInpting-looking pattern
dresses, in boxes, which seem 70 exemplify this
latter part OF the phrase At first sight every one
wants them. and there is open wonder at the low
Ir.ce affixed They are cotton Saline, OF varying
degrees o! prettineSs or ugline5s, accompanied
BY Ian and parasol matching the dress. The cost
OF the whole i less thar 81 Inc dress, OF course
Is unDaqc; but The fan and paraSOl are m0uuted,
finished and ready for carrying aloag dusty road
on sI.s.rncr afternoon Why do ladies !ooS at all
this Tor 81 little money, and nineteen times out Of
twenty turn about and leave It rs a bait for
Others less wary? The reason Is that it is ''tOo
nt., h. The fan and parlSol are bound 70 the
dess- They would be iit IOr no other costume III
The pattern color o. the dress itself is not alto
gther desirable, the disagreed bic part IL IS null
uplied By the presence OF the extra articles, and
obstacle.
Abroad, such designs, eonrpfet, sell Ike .'nor
cdseS as summer approaches. for they furnish eX-
ATTY what hundreds or woTk-wonen and SHOP
women want, when they go 10 the Boss On Sunday
or spend q day IN the country. The Partisan work.
woman has no money 10 spend on knick-Snacks
and l. not tempted by stacks OF japanese" fans to
v .Ste her centsHleS. But when she goes into the
country, II only Tor aday outing. wishes 10 be
equal 70 the occasion The dress compiler suits her
exactly. she Will stay up all night TO make and
put the finishing touches upon IL, and L ribbon
UPON peSky straw bonnet Twenty francs pro-
vides Her entire OUTFIT the bonnet, the nbbon the
dress the pardSOl, the Ian carried with an lair"
and common little handkerchief but with border
Matching the tone, II hot exact color or the dress
E.ust say, for myself, that the sight OF a work
woman on sunday IN such i costume, her CAV
dress, l2It.eas Ia NJ, her head carried high her
pir1soi higher, her fan nuttertng-eyen though in
: stt ef WluG-elyeS more pleasure than all The
E-I4!ianJ toilets o. the grand opera. 1 am thank
III ileii Win all my heart, 10 the manufacturer
OF tEe pattern dresses 'cuaspfet7 lOr he provides
ti41Sc VINO elIinOj AFFORD anything better with
something that gives satisfaction. that gratities
t-elr experienced seESe, not 10 say cultivated
tste; ami Whatever gives iuIiaesS OF endowment
IL this word, within the Small domain OF fixed and
narrow resources, 10 something TO be glad and
thankful for.
car woTkwoEle2 are not so restricted They
nave ua'iA4Iy several cotton DRESSES Tor summer
wear, several WOODEN Tor winter wear and they
aspire, without an exception, TO silk on SUNDAY
Besides, taey would not carry a figured Saline
p.trlsOi when stripes were In fashion even though
IL Is, OF nothing.
SUMNER MATERIALS.
There are many new and pretty materials In
wool and silk, OF ali silk and al wool. but they
possess one uniform characteristic; they are